We in the body of Christ, or Christendom, need to get off our high horse and stop talking down other denominations. The way it's going down is just not godly. This does not mean we should not seek to clarify and correct the errors that exist in the practice and keeping of Christianity but we need to begin with our own Church. Then, we need to take a fresh look at other denominations and finally, let us have more wisdom in handling problems in the family of God. I recently sat in Church and heard my Pastor bad-mouth the Amish. It seems to be open season on the Amish these days. Various television shows have proliferated whose sole purpose seems to be pulling the Amish down into the gutter. What an easy target they make too! They eschew violence so popping you one in the face when you make fun of them is not very likely. Also, chances are they aren't watching television or listening to my Pastor insult them on his podcasts.
My Pastor chose to use them as a negative example when he was trying to encourage the congregation to fulfill their biblical mandate of witnessing in the community. That is like trying to encourage one child to do their math homework by telling them not to be like their brother. Our Pastors should be more like the good Shephard (Jesus Christ) seeking the lost and returning them to the flock. See the difference? My Pastor isn't alone. Who hasn't sat at an evangelical service where the Catholics were cooked up and served for dinner? The virtue that we show whenever we as Christians deal with frustration, or challenges goes a long way to shedding light on our maturity as a believer. Be careful Church, your fruits are showing! Be careful Church lest we be compared to the "Lilliputians" those fictitious characters created by the author Jonathan Swift which immortalized the foolishness of partisanship.
The battles between denominations are legendary. The Catholics vs. the Lutherans, Luther vs. Zwingli, the Scottish Presbyterians vs. the Anglicans and the Western Church vs. the Eastern Orthodox Church. These battles continue today. The differences and distinctions that Christians have created for ourselves have resulted in five main Church families : Catholic, Protestant, Eastern, Evangelical and Pentecostal. Within those five broad categories, there are about 41,000 different Christian denominations! Is this what Jesus meant when he prayed that we all be one in Him? John 17:21 says, "that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in you; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that you sent Me." So how do you think that we are doing as a Church in following Jesus' mandate? It is very clear that we are not united in the way that the Father and Jesus are united. Further, Jesus, in the above verse lets us know that our unity will be a sign to the world and help us to validate the truth about who Jesus is. This is extremely important for all of us to reflect upon.
With that in mind I would like to share what the worlds churches mean to me. How they each have helped me learn a basic tenet of Christianity. The Catholic Church helped me to understand the holiness of God. The beauty of their Churches and the smell of incense makes me imagine the glories of heaven. ("golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints." Revelation 5:8.). I learned that God is the Creator of the Universe and us. They taught me the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Protestant Churches were my first introduction to excellent Bible Study. Their reverence for the Word inspired me. It was Martin Luther who wanted the Bible translated into many languages to be accessible to all. The Orthodox Churches have taught me to persevere against religious persecution and to hold on strongly to my beliefs. This is a very important lesson as Christians face ever increasing trials throughout the world. The evangelicals have helped to teach me about the practical application of God's Word in daily life, i.e., to be a do'er of the Word. They also gave me an excellent example of real Christian fellowship. The Pentecostals have shown me the joy of the Lord and let us not forget the Amish. The Amish have shown me the wisdom to take the damage that the culture and school system can do seriously. So many believers in Jesus Christ have lost their children to a blatantly anti-religious education system and to ungodly culture and the Amish fought to stop that. I respect the modest way that both they and the Mennonites attire themselves. Their forgiveness and peacefulness all represent Christian moral excellence.
Most importantly, I have found people who are earnestly seeking God in every Church that I have ever been in. Even in the worst Church, I have found some faith, fellowship and love. Each of these
churches has somehow correctly pointed me to the Word of God which is the Bible. Yet, each of these churches has somehow departed from those directives in the Bible in some key areas. It is not surprising that they have done so considering that we depart from God's Word everyday because we are sinners. We bring this sin to the churches that we attend and even institutionalize that sin. Get off the self-righteous jag. We must resolve to seek God's direction, by His Holy Spirit and study of the Bible to follow Him more closely. Resolve your differences with other believers using the Word of God. If they do not listen, leave in a godly way not hurling insults. Pray for them in love and be ready to restart a conversation if they wish. "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21
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